verseoftheday

Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. Proverbs 19:4 NASB Can you see yourself in this proverb somewhere? I've tried to stay connected to people because of their success in the world. And allowed relationships to drift where someone is poor (financially, poor in spirit, chronically ill). Where is Jesus in this proverb? Can we get a glimpse of Him? He became the poor man. Gave up heaven, to become poor. And he was separated. Separated from the Eternal, so that, we don't have to be. He came as a servant, wasn't good looking, had no assets, no success at all in the things of this world so that we wouldn't be attracted by his wealth or power. But by his love. His heart for us. He was separated and forsaken. So that we don't have to be. Loves sacrificially. Joins up what has been separated. #accepted #dearlyloved #somethingtochewon

See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! 1 John 3:1 AMP Monday morning and maybe it feels like "real life" hits again. But no matter what you and I face today, this week, this year, one thing does not change. We are the children of God! If we've put our faith in Jesus, we've been adopted. That is immutable (love that word - had to look it up tho!} Accepted. We are known, yet accepted & loved in all the good bad & ugly of our hearts and lives Loved God is Love. And His great heart is for us. His Love brought Jesus from heaven to the cross to make a way, to become the way. Adopted Accepted Loved What a place to start your Monday morning from! Oh and one more thing... Safe. Once we're adopted into His family, nothing can separate us from His Love. You and I, we're safe here #monday #adopted #accepted #safe #dearlyloved ...

...Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven" Mark 2:4-5 NLT Imagine the chatter in the room as the roof is pulled off, the stretcher is lowered in front of Jesus, and it all goes quiet. And the whole scene slows down. And Jesus looks at this man with the broken body, socially and ecomically on the outside... And Forgives his sin. Jesus says My Child, I see you, I see your circumstances, but your biggest and most important need, is to have your broken relationship with God restored. I can do that. In fact I haven't even waited for you to ask, I've just done it... something only God can do... You are forgiven. He says the same to us today... I see you, I know you, I love you. Your biggest need is not your broken circumstances, but your broken relationship with God. I've made a way. I am the Way. I didn't wait. The cross. I went t...

...so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child..." Mark 2:4-5 NLT The room is absolutely packed. Jesus has been preaching. The drama ramps up as the roof is pulled apart and a stretcher is lowered. Everyone will be straining to get a glimpse of who it is, and what Jesus will do with this crazy interruption. This is a moment. And does Jesus choose to use the drama to heal and astound and cement his place with the crowd? Does he look at this man and deal with his great need? No. Jesus says "my child". In all the drama and the crowd, in his broken condition, Jesus sees him. The person. My child I love you. I see you Right now you are the most important person to me. No matter what drama is going on in our lives, what the crowd might want, what's broken or damaged or hurt in you, Jesus sees you. My child. ...

They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:4-5 NLT It's only Jesus who can say those words. It's only Jesus work that forgives and brings real healing Our part? Come and listen. And do whatever it takes to bring those who need to meet Jesus, to meet Him. These guys had to (literally) break down some barriers to get their friend to meet Jesus Will I do that? Will people get a glimpse of Jesus in my church today? Will anyone see a glimpse of Him in me today? He's called us to represent Him to the world, so let's do that...and let them meet Jesus - the only One who can forgive... #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #forgiven #accepted #acceptable #dearlyloved

The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. Proverbs 16:17 NIV Jesus came face to face with evil, he was tempted, he faced up to the malignant, the corrupt, the negative, the religious, yet he refused to be swayed, did not budge from his path... his highway ran through evil, yet he refused to take it on board, refused to let it change him... He did guard his ways, but not to preserve his own life, but to preserve ours! To save us. As Tim Keller says "Jesus lived the life we should have lived, and died the death in our place we should have died. On the cross Jesus was treated as we deserved, so that when we believe in him, we're treated as he deserves... Our life is preserved because of the only truly upright one... #thisisourGod #sunday #worship #inthistogether #forgiven #accepted #belong #dearlyloved

For we are his workmanship... Ephesians 2:10 ESV Think about the work of a master craftsman... maybe a musician, artist, builder, carver, engineer... and then go up a level, or ten! You are the work of God's hands. The Master Craftsman. The word here is "poiema". God has put on a master class of creative endeavour delivering an epic, individual, unrepeatable, beautiful, poem. You. His workmanship. A treasure. #dearlyloved #childrenofGod #accepted #belong #beautiful

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 NIV Forsaken. Abandoned, discarded, shunned, renounced, jilted... rejected. As we approach Easter, it's a reminder that there was one who was forsaken by Yahweh. One who was abandoned, discarded, shunned, renounced, jilted... rejected. Jesus. He knows what it's like. He didn't want it to be that way, but went thru with it anyway, so that we wouldn't have to be. So that we will never be forsaken by Yahweh, by God, we'll never be rejected. We just have to know that name, and trust Him. Jesus. Forsaken for us. Rejected for us. So that we will always be accepted. Always. #psalm #psalm9 #noothername #dearlyloved #accepted

A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful. Proverbs 14:25 NIV In 1 John 2, John speaks of Jesus as our witness, advocating on our behalf, speaking the truth of our position. This witness speaks not only the truth about us, but is absolutely compelling. His testimony cannot be reduted, rebutted, or undone. It's on the back of not just what he says, but what he did. That's what makes this witness credible. Jesus is our truthful witness, and its our life that he saves, so we're free. Free of the penalty of sin, free from the mistakes we've made, free from the past. Free to live. Free to be thankful, free to worship. Jesus stepped in when we couldn't, did what we couldn't, so that we are free. How good is that! #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #childofGod #accepted #dearlyloved

A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful. Proverbs 14:25 NIV Sometimes we are our own false witness...we have that tape running deep inside which says... I'm not good enough, a failure, too tall/short/ugly, unlovable, damaged...and we allow it to keep us down, stop us from taking risks, stop us from living... But Jesus says "I died for you. And you know what? You were worth it" When a child makes a mistake, it doesn't change their position in the family. They're no less loved, no less belonging (ok so not great English but you get it right?) Maybe that internal message pops up only rarely, or maybe it's everyday, but when it does, we need to actively replace that false witness with the truth #childofGod #accepted #dearlyloved